Field Level Media
13 Sep 2026, 07:25 GMT+10
(Photo credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images)
Zach Johnson fired a 6-under-par 64 to pull into a share of the Sanford International lead during second-round play on Saturday in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Johnson and Jay Jurecic, who posted a second-round 65 at Minnehaha Country Club, enter the final round at 7-under 133. The former Masters champ with more than $55 million in career earnings and the former schoolteacher with $5,641 in career earnings will share Sunday's final pairing with Ben Crane.
Crane (64), Jamie Donaldson of Wales (66) and South Africa's Retief Goosen (67) lurk one shot behind the leaders.
Johnson and Jurecic moved to the top, in part, by posting eagles at the par-5 No. 12 within minutes of each other. Crane, Donaldson and Goosen settled for birdies on the hole.
'I struck the ball awesome,' Johnson said. 'I hit the middle of the face a lot today, especially off the tee.'
If Johnson prevails Sunday, then the 50-year-old will claim his fifth Champions title this season. If Jurecic prevails, he'll become the 16th player in Champions history to win after earning a spot in a tournament via the open qualifier.
The Sanford represents just the fourth Champions start for the 56-year-old Jurecic, who didn't pick up a club until he was 18. He closed the second round with a birdie that generated a big response from the gallery.
'That was probably the best feeling in golf I've had with the grandstands,' said Jurecic, who played tours in the Dakotas for 20 years. 'To make that putt and finish strong like that was just a dream come true. It felt awesome.'
Goosen and Chad Campbell fired 67s to share the lead after the first round, but Goosen backed up slightly as he balanced five birdies with two bogeys. Campbell posted a 68 to drop into a tie for sixth with Mark Wilson at 5-under.
Michael Block, Ryan Armour and Australia's Greg Chalmers, who aced the 17th hole on Saturday, sit another shot back at 4-under.
--Field Level Media
Get a daily dose of Milwaukee Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Milwaukee Sun.
More InformationADEN/DUBAI, Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi militants reached the strategic island of Perim in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on September 11,...
OTTAWA, Canada: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Canada on September 10 for talks with Prime Minister Mark Carney,...
VIENNA, Austria: The United Nations' nuclear watchdog has referred Iran to the U.N. Security Council for the first time in 20 years,...
CAIRO/WASHINGTON, D.C./DUBAI: Iran-backed Houthi forces seized control of Yemen's port city of Mocha on September 10, according to...
Twenty-five years after the deadliest attack on US soil, Americans paused on Friday to commemorate the nearly 3,000 people killed when...
CHAMONIX-MONT-BLANC, France: For centuries, glaciers and snow on Mont Blanc, Europe's highest peak, have defined the landscape and...
(Photo credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images) Drew Mestemaker passed for 317 yards with a pair of touchdowns, and added 109 rushing...
(Photo credit: Michael Clubb/South Bend Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images) CJ Carr completed 16 of 20 passes for 253 yards...
(Photo credit: Tork Mason) The Green Bay Packers announced a contract extension with tight end Tucker Kraft on Saturday. Terms...
(Photo credit: Tork Mason) Tucker Kraft and the Green Bay Packers agreed to a four-year, $75 million extension worth up to $92 million...
(Photo credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images) The Milwaukee Brewers acknowledged the importance of clinching their eighth postseason...
(Photo credit: Jonathan Dyer) Junior Caminero launched a mammoth walk-off home run in the ninth inning Friday night, sending the...
